A blog dedicated to documenting my progression as a hobbyist, and my eternal indecision about what to paint next!

Does this constitute bullying?

So recently, I played a game. 1500pts, same list as I’ve been running for a while… except it was against a small child. I say child, he was 14. I say small…well…pretty much everyone’s smaller than me. Several people will say that using a Forge World model like the Storm Eagle in a game against someone so young is perhaps a tad cruel, and I would agree, except that my opponent liked the look of the model, checked the rules, and agreed to play it anyway. What follows is by no means my finest hour, and if you like your Space Wolves… you might not want to read this…

Game #1 – 1500pts vs Space Wolves w/ Marine Allies

Space Wolf Army

Canis Wolfborn

Blood Claws

Grey Hunters

Long Fangs

Space Marine Chapter Master

Space Marine Honour Guard

Space Marine Tactical Squad

Space Marine Scouts

Stormtalon Gunship

Mission: The Emperor’s Will
Deployment: Dawn of War (1st)
Warlord: Tenacity

Turn 1: The opening shot of the game saw a Dreadnought’s Plasma Cannon totally obliterate the Tactical Combat Squad that had been rather unfortunately bunched together directly opposite my Dreadnought. The second Dreadnought and Telion Scouts then promptly reduced Canis to a quivering steaming mess full of holes, the Wolf-rider losing a wound to the Plasma Cannon then a staggering THREE Rending hits AND a Krak Missile. I can’t help but feel that guy desperately needs an Invulnerable Save… or to maybe be put in a unit…

The Space Wolves retaliated by spreading out slightly and moving a little way up the board.

Turn 2: The flyers arrive. I can’t help but think that MAYBE this was a mistake. Then I got alittle generous and had my Librarian use Gate of Infinity to teleport and attack the Long Fangs. He killed one. Meanwhile the Plasma Dreads and the Storm Eagle made short work of the Chapter Master and his Honour Guard while the Scouts kill off the remaining Long Fangs.

The Librarian who so defiantly jumped from the safety of his squad is predictably charged by the Blood Claws. Though he slays two, it is no surprise when he is rather brutally killed. This seemed to cheer my opponent up a little, as it landed him a bonus Victory Point.

Turn 3: The Talons both open up at the enemy Storm Talon, damaging it. The enemy Talon then kills a Tactical Marine, while the Blood Claws assault the Scout Squad. The Scouts lose combat and voluntarily flee.

Turn 4: The friendly Talons kill the enemy Talon and the single remaining Grey Hunter. The Scouts charge the Blood Claws and draw combat against them. Twice.

Turn 5: The Talons and Eagle all engage Hover Mode and pelt the enemy Scouts, wiping them out as Telion batters the final Blood Claw to death with his Boltgun and consolidates rather briskly into the Space Wolf Deployment Zone.

I’m not proud of this game, but for all the suffering I put his poor Wolves through, my opponent remained chirpy and cheerful, and actually looked like he was actively enjoying his stuff being slaughtered…whatever floats your boat, I guess…

Game #2 – 1500pts vs Imperial Guard

I hadn’t played Guard with this list yet, so I was both excited and slightly nervous. Guard can put out a scary amount of firepower, and this guy’s list certainly wasn’t lacking!

Turn 1: Karma strikes! The Initiative is stolen, the Scouts are killed by Harker’s Vets and the Dreadnought is exploded by several precision Lascannon shots.

The Librarian takes a chance and Gates out of his unit again, this time barbequing Harker and his vets, who then flee.

Turn 2: Harker’s squad rallies, the entire army then aims at the lone Librarian and blow him to small bits. Shit…

The Talons and Eagles arrive. Talons kill a Sentinel and a Heavy Weapons Squad. The Tactical Squad now devoid of its Librarian kill the remaining Veterans. The Storm Eagle in a brilliant display of overwhelming firepower kills a Sentinel and 2 bases of the Heavy Weapons Squad, leaving the third to flee off the board.

Turn 3: The Guard shoot at the dug-in Ravens and inflict a few casualties, but not enough to cause any checks of any kind.

In return, the Tactical Squads kill a Sentinel between their Krak Missiles, while the Talons kill the Medusa and the Eagle lets rip at Straken’s Command Squad, leaving only the Medic alive.

Turn 4: The Platoon Command Squad on my right overheat with three Plasma Guns and flee.

The Talons, unimpressed by that display, then decide enough is enough and spray the fleeing Catachans with Assault Cannon fire while a plucky Krak Missile takes out Straken’s Medic at long range.

Turn 5: The flyers all enter hover mode and spray the dug in Guard with weapons-fire, but nothing is wiped out or flees.

It was a rather messy game. The Guard were quite unlucky, though I did feel like I may have lost turn 2 or 3 if my flyers hadn’t arrived. An Infantry-heavy Guard army can put out a seriously scary amount of shooting, especially when you take Orders into consideration.

However, these games have shown me one rather disturbing thing – my army’s turned into a gunline. While it’s maybe 80% effective, it’s not how I want them to play. If I wanted gunline Marines, I’d have painted them Yellow! I do need to modify my list slightly to be fluffy yet competetive, and perhaps minus the Eagle (definitely if I want to go to Throne of Skulls again!) I’m considering Drop Pods, although Rhinos fit too! All I know is, taking Shrike is no longer a 100% certainty… I’m considering Kantor, or if I wanted to be a real sod… Power Armoured Calgar!

I shall return with a new list and new reports soon, but for me it’s back to the drawing board!